Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a radio access technology (RAT) that facilitates end-to end Internet Protocol (IP) service delivery of media to mobile telephone networks. For commercial carriers as well as public safety, security, and defense agencies alike, LTE is quickly emerging as the preferred standard for RATs within the United States.
LTE comprises a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), which is described in a suite of Technical Specifications (TS) developed within and publicized by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE provides, in part, for a flat IP-based network architecture designed to ensure support for common legacy systems such as, for instance, GPRS (general packet radio service) and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). LTE is a simple, inexpensive architecture that advantageously provides, among others, low latency, high throughput, FDD (frequency-division duplex) and TDD (time-division duplex) in the same platform, and interoperability with older standard wireless technologies such as GSM (Global Systems for Mobile Communications) and standards using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) as an underlying channel access method such as cdmaOne™ and CDMA2000®.
Illustratively, in the area of public safety, security, and defense, it is often vital that first responders quickly establish communications as they move to and converge on the locale of a particular incident. The diversity of expertise provided at the incident is often reflected in the variety of user equipment (UE) carried within a group or even by individual responders, as a multitude of RATs and capabilities may be used by the responders' mobile devices both in route to and at the incident. Consequently, a responder may encounter discrepancies in information provided between their personal mobile devices. For example, for a police officer, the capabilities of a mobile phone in that officer's hand may not be the same as the capabilities of a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) radio at the officer's waist. In such a scenario, current LTE systems fail to ensure that the most current information is provided to the officer during a mission critical situation, whichever device is accessed.
Thus, there exists a need to efficiently deliver information to a variety of mobile devices, whether via multicast or unicast transport, across multiple cells that may implement different RATs.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. Apparatus and method components have been represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the various embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.